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“What do we got?” Nova’s voice is steady, as always.
“He’s hit in the shoulder. Looks like it went clean through, but he’s bleeding bad,” I explain, carefully guiding Gray onto the bed and stepping back to give Nova space. “You’re gonna be okay,” I assure him, trying to sound confident.
He nods, but I can see the fear in his eyes. Damn, Gray’s expression takes me back to when we were kids, and he got too close to the wrong end of a horse. Damn horse kicked him right in the chest. I think I was about seven. Scared the living crap out of me.
I sprinted to the house for help, my heart pounding like a jackhammer. When we returned, he was barely conscious, his breaths shallow and ragged. He asked me if he was gonna make it. I told him then what I’m telling him now. You’re gonna be okay.
“Stay,” he pleads.
I nod. “Of course, man. Not going anywhere.”
Gray lets out a loud grunt, throwing his head back as Nova cleans the wound, inspecting it thoroughly.
“Want me to hold your hand?” I ask with a smile.
His gaze flicks up to mine, his pain momentarily forgotten. “Fuck you,” he groans. “I should say yes just to fuck with you.”
“You should,” I agree, still smiling while Nova works silently to patch up Gray. “But you’re not confident enough in your manhood to do it.”
Gray’s next grunt is not one of pain but annoyance. “More hippie California talk, huh?”
“I’m from California,” Nova reminds him as the first stitch enters the entrance wound.
“Fuck!” Gray hollers. “This shit hurts.” He turns to Nova and says, “Sorry. Forgot because you’re so un-California-like.”
I laugh. “Nice save.”
“Thanks.” His eyes start to drift closed, and I’m not sure if it’s from all the blood he’s lost or the pain radiating throughout his shoulder. “Look. Stone. We should talk.”
I roll my eyes. “Now you want to talk?” I let out a snort. “You’re not dying. You know that, right?”
“Yeah, fucker, I know.” He winces again, turning to his side with Nova’s help. “But I have something to say, and since you saved my life, I’m gonna say it now.”
Gray swallows while he nods. “I always knew Ivy wasn’t one hundred percent in this long before you came home. Our relationship is solid, but I hoped that, over time, she would fall in love with me. She hasn’t, and it didn’t bother me, until you came back.”
“I didn’t?—”
“Shut the fuck up.” He winces again. “I’m talking. You being here and seeing the way she looks at you is a fucked up reminder of how she’s never gonna feel about me.”
”Dude, you’re stoned. Nova gave you the good stuff. We’ll talk later.”
“No. I want to talk now. I’ve been ignoring it all this time. I’m not the guy for her.”
Well, now I feel like a total fucking asshole. “I might not be either. Man, we grew up together. We’re friends.”
“More than friends,” he replies. “Don’t fuck it up.”
“That’s a big fucking ask.” What the hell do I know about relationships anyway? Other than the people on this ranch and the boys in Angel Harbor, I’ve never done it. And if I fuck up with Ivy, then I’ll lose her for good. “Fuck.”
“Good luck.” Gray has a dazed grin on his face as his eyes flutter shut.
“He’s asleep now,” Nova says in his calm doctor's voice. “He’ll be on and off for the rest of the night.”
I nod at Nova and drop into the chair near Gray’s bed. The door flies open, and my hand goes instinctively to my gun, but it’s just my dad. “Oh. Hey.”
His brows dip. “Gray all right?”
Nova nods. “Shot went straight through. Bled a lot, and he’s patched up now. He’ll be fine.”
